The meeting comes at a time when relations between PPP and its coalition partner, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), have been strained for several weeks. Leaders from both parties have engaged in an escalating exchange of accusations, underscoring widening cracks within the ruling alliance.
On Tuesday, PPP senators strongly criticised the Punjab government, blaming it for incompetence and political prejudice in its handling of the ongoing floods.
Senators Shahadat Awan, Palwasha Khan, Waqar Mehdi, and Masroor Ahsan said Punjab had ignored advance warnings of flooding and prioritised politics over public welfare. They also accused the PML-N of fostering divisions instead of promoting unity.
Responding to the accusations, Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari hit back, describing the PPP's stance as "contradictory and politically immature." She said PPP leaders issue "verbal gunfire" while claiming to advocate reconciliation, warning that such double standards send no serious message of unity.
Bokhari further accused the PPP of political insecurity, noting that its leaders from Sindh had targeted Punjab more than 30 times in a single day. The upcoming CEC meeting, therefore, is expected to address not only the party's political strategy but also its response to the growing rift with PML-N.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq also met President Asif Ali Zardari amid the rift between two coalition partners.
PM calls senior party leaders meeting
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called a meeting of senior party leaders to discuss efforts for a ceasefire between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
According to sources, the discussion will focus on rising political tensions between Punjab and Sindh. The prime minister will also be briefed about the PPP's recent walkout from the National Assembly, while senior PML-N leaders will inform him of the concerns raised by the PPP.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz to convey a message from President Asif Ali Zardari. Sources said President Zardari has tasked Naqvi with defusing the growing political friction between the PPP and PML-N.